Power Rangers RPM: Episode 2- Colors
by Steel Kiba
Summary: While undergoing Corinth Resistance Army training, the Series Operators meet Hien, the young man who gave them access to their weapons, and Ian, a combat expert who has been consistently rejected by the CRA. All the while, a new robot menace is constructing portals to allow Venjix's monsters to pass into Corinth City. Can only three Power Rangers stop him from succeeding?
1. Morning

Author Note: I'll be doing my best to get this story finished by next week. Thanks for sticking with me! Also, I see that I am still getting plenty of views for my Mighty Morphin story. I haven't abandoned MMPR, not by a long shot. However, my goal is to write and finish my RPM stories first because the ideas and stories are the most compelling to me right now. Again, any reviews or constructive criticism are more than welcome!

A series of notes blared over the Corinth Resistance Army's public address system, jolting Alex right out of bed. He hopped down from the top bunk, bypassing climbing the ladder that joined his and Simon's sleeping space together.

Simon groaned, burying his face deep into his pillow. "What are you up for?" he asked.

"Training starts at 5:30. Don't want to be late!" Alex said, changing into his blue U.S. Navy BDUs and straightening his cover over his hair, which hung to the lower nape of his neck.

"You'd think you'd get used to waking up so early, but you don't," Trice mumbled from the other side of the room, to the left of the window; it was still dark out. The Series Operators were assigned one good-sized bedroom, which housed five bunks, five tables and chairs, five desks and drawers for everyone's things, and five sectioned-off shower stalls in the bathroom.

Simon rolled out of bed and stumbled over to his shoes, putting them on. He was wearing the same white shirt and black pants he had been wearing for days.

"Alright, let's go!" Alex said, lacing up his boots and heading for the door.

"There'd better be something to eat first…" Simon said, yawning and stretching. "Trice, you coming?"

"Just a second," Trice said, trying to run a brush through her long, tangled hair. After a few seconds, she thrust her fist on the bedpost, grabbed hold of the back of her hair, reached into her drawer, pulled out a pair of scissors, and snipped it off. Trice then quickly brushed it into a pixie-cut style as the boys watched, eyebrows raised.

"Ready," she said.

Several miles underground, the constant threat to Earth's survival was busy as ever. General Shifter, Venjix's second in command, strolled along the catwalks overseeing the Grinder foot soldiers as they took aim at various practice targets with their weapons and limbs. He came across Crunch, his own second in command, who rubbed his hands together and giggled profusely.

"You'd better have a good reason to laugh," Shifter snarled, hitting Crunch in the back of the head. "Your robot failed out there in Corinth City. Pitiful."

"You always think I'm so stupid, Shifter," Crunch said, rubbing where his superior struck him. "You think I can't tell the difference between a lug nut and a peanut."

"I don't even give you that much credit," Shifter replied. "Now, why aren't you readying another plan to destroy that city?"

"But I have, General," the other officer said. "When Pandora's Box infiltrated the city, I made sure that he took a few of our friends with him."

"But haven't they been detected? You have no clue…"

"Enough!" Venjix roared, every being in the compound brought to a halt by his omnipresent voice. "What are you babbling about?"

"Well, boss," Crunch continued, trembling at his master's tone. "I also sent the Hypodrive robot in with a detachment of Grinders. They are being kept hidden by one of our cloaking device controls, which… actually wears off pretty soon."

"I knew it!" Shifter yelled "You bumbling moron!"

"Silence, general!" the virus commanded. Shifter grimaced.

"Yeah, let me finish!" Crunch answered. "The cloaking device wears off soon, but I've been monitoring Hypodrive and the Grinders, and they have been creating hidden portals all over the city. It'll take us a while to get them all fully activated, but when we do, we can send any soldier into Corinth we want!"

"Impressive, General Crunch," Venjix said. "You may not be so useless after all."

"We will see," Shifter said. "I will make sure your work is up to par myself."


	2. Hien

Just like the enemy camp, the Corinth Resistance headquarters was a hub of hustle and bustle. Soldiers in muted blue flight suits and combat boots roamed the halls, making their way to their various duties. In the foyer, Colonel Light stood before Simon, Alex, and Trice, who also wore the same uniforms.

"Before your official military training begins," Light began. "Dr. K has suggested that we show you the rest of Ranger Operations."

"Before you fully harness the Series Operator technology," Dr. K said, her voice coming from a communicator Colonel Light mounted to his shoulder. "You must first understand what you will be utilizing in your missions and where your arsenal comes from. Any questions?"

"Yeah. Why are we wearing these things?" Alex asked, scratching at the itchy material.

"I have to agree here," Simon said, shifting his feet. "These make us look like complete tools…"

"Of all the queries you could pose, Ranger Blue, you pick the one topic that is a nonissue," Dr. K said irritably as Colonel Light put his palm to his face. "Are you that foolish?"

"Who are you calling foolish?! Let me tell…" Alex began, raising his fist.

"What Alex is trying to say," Trice interrupted, pushing his hand down. "Is why fix what isn't broke? Aren't we fine the way we are?"

"A warrior who fails to evolve will certainly meet his or her end," Colonel Light said. "Defeating the threat to our world takes more than concentrated effort. Effort is no good if you don't apply it in different ways."

"That didn't really answer the question," Alex said.

"Exactly," Dr. K said.

"Come this way," Light instructed before Alex could say another word. He looked at Simon, who chuckled, and Trice, who shrugged her shoulders.

The group made their way through the foyer and down the hall to the room where they had first met and received their Ranger powers. This time, there were several people at the once-empty tables, working at computers

"I thought we were going to see the rest of Ranger Operations. This is the same place," Simon remarked.

"Ranger Operations isn't just a building, son," Colonel Light said. "With state of the art technology that interacts with the Morphing Grid, these people all take part in analyzing, improving, and repairing your weapons, armor, and vehicles." He introduced the Series Operators to some of the technicians, who barely said hello as they kept their eyes on their work.

"They don't seem too thrilled to see us," Alex said.

"Monitoring and maintaining the Series Operator biohardware is more than a full-time job," Light said.

"Didn't you say something about vehicles?" asked Trice.

"Indeed," the colonel replied, taking them over to a corner of the room. "In addition to sidearms and primary weapons, you have access to the Zord Attack Vehicles, which you may summon during extreme emergencies, reconnaissance missions outside of the city, and for other duties."

Trice's eyes lit up as they stopped near the table where another technician was working.

"Our main engineer for the Zord Attack Vehicle program is Hien Cranston. Hien?"

The young man got up from his chair and turned around. He appeared to be of Vietnamese descent and looked even younger than Trice, at least by a year. He wore a short sleeve button-up shirt and khaki slacks; a small green pouch hung from his neck on a string. His short brown hair was parted in the middle and he wore thin glasses that covered his blue eyes.

"Hi everyone. Nice to meet you," he said in a soft voice, shaking hands with Alex and Trice. Simon simply nodded.

"Hey, you're the guy that gave us access to our weapons yesterday!" Trice said. "You really got us out of a jam."

"Well, not really," Hien said, rubbing the back of his head. "The Primary Ranger Armaments have been online for about a couple of weeks. We simply haven't had the right people to test them until now. I just had to push past Dr. K."

"Speaking of the doctor," Alex began. "Where is she? I'd love to give her a piece of my mind."

"Well, none of us besides Colonel Light has ever seen Dr. K," Hien explained. "We've only been in contact through audio technology. As the head of Ranger Operations, she must be very busy, I guess."

"And so very friendly," Simon said, crossing his arms. "I guess your little spat with her got you moved here from the weapons division."

"Not at all," Hien answered. "I've tried to work with everything here at least a little bit. The Zords have just been my main thing. If you want, I can show you how the Megazord is coming online."

"You bet!" Trice said.

"Megazord? I have to see this," Simon said.

"No time," Colonel Light said, pulling the two back.

"Aw man! Don't we at least get to see what we'll be driving?" Alex protested.

"Later, if you can keep conscious," the officer responded. "Your orientation ends here. Time for some real fun."


	3. Training

**AUTHOR NOTE: I try to put up one chapter every day or every other day, four days a week (that's what my schedule allows), so I hope that works for everyone. I hope you enjoy!**

At first, it did seem like fun, as fun as multiple series of pushups, sit-ups, calisthenics, and other exercises could be. For the first couple of hours, Simon, Alex, and Trice had no problem keeping up with the other soldiers out on the training yards just outside headquarters. The group capped off the next hour going through a giant obstacle course, which consisted of the standard walls to climb, ropes to swing on, and nets to crawl under; each soldier had to complete four continuous laps around the course.

Simon was the last one to finish his drills. He ambled over to Alex and Trice, who were also panting and drenched in sweat.

"Well," he breathed, crouching down. "I guess that wasn't too bad."

"Yeah," Alex added, his arms interlocked over his head. "It's great endurance training."

"Endurance training?" one of the soldiers said, who was barely perspiring. "Wait until you guys go inside."

"What do you mean?" Trice asked as the drill instructor blew his whistle. All of the soldiers marched on toward a circular building next to the fields. As they went inside, the Series Operators saw a large, empty wooden floor with a huge square in the center.

"What is this supposed to be?" Simon inquired, taking a drink from the canteen he and everyone else was issued.

"Judging by the square, I'd say it's some kind of ring," Trice asked.

"You guys aren't even close to getting in there," another random soldier said, laughing.

"What's so funny?" Simon asked.

"You need peak endurance to even set foot into the ring," the drill instructor interjected, pulling his cap off and wiping his brow, which sat below his bald head.

"You don't think we can handle it?" Trice asked. "Did yesterday not prove anything?"

"With all that bio-tech stuff, yes," the instructor said. "Without it, not really. I saw the video feed, and you guys got pummeled in less than five minutes without morphing."

"That was only our first try!" Alex protested.

"Then prove it was!" the instructor yelled, getting right in Ranger Blue's face. "Start running. The rest of you, line up for sparring drills." He blew the whistle again.

Casting looks of disdain at the others, the three started jogging around the track as the other soldiers began performing offensive and defensive combinations. Determined to join them, Simon, Alex and Trice kept going. After four laps, the instructor urged them to go for eight more. At the Rangers went back to their running, the instructor took a remote from his pocket. It featured two directional arrows and a few buttons, and he pressed the up key.

The Rangers continued on, sweat pooling down their faces. It seemed like they were in an oven.

"Is it just me, or is it getting hotter in here?" Trice asked, pushing her newly short hair back.

Simon turned his head to the crowd of soldiers in the center. He saw the drill instructor holding the remote, pressing the up key every few seconds. Alex also looked in the same direction, gritting his teeth.

"Keep going," Simon said. They did just that, pushing through the last few laps. All three of them stooped to their knees when it was all said and done.

All of the other soldiers laughed as the Series Operators tried to rise to their feet.

"You three sure look dead tired," one of them said.

"Don't tell me a little running has the almighty Digger, sailor, and whoever she is beat," another one added, pointing at Trice.

"Funny," Simon huffed. "Real funny."

"You kidding? Alex replied. "This is my 'eager' face!"

Trice got right up in the insulting soldier's face.

"Oooh!" he said. "Tough girl!"

"You know what?" Trice asked. "Underestimating your enemies is deadly. Underestimating your allies is even worse."

"That's enough out of you!" the instructor said, wedging himself between them. He turned to Trice and the others. "Don't worry. You'll get a chance to play hard."

The Series Operators actually didn't do any more physical training that day. The rest of the day was spent learning about military conventions and defensive theory. They sat in one of the huge auditorium-style classrooms, taking copious notes on the chain of command, standard weapons, and attack patterns that helped repel Grinders in past attacks. The only stimulating thing in the room was the chill, as the drill instructor turned the temperature lower and lower. This time, the Rangers made no sign that they were affected; they wouldn't give anyone the satisfaction that they were uncomfortable.

"That was incredibly boring," Simon said as the three trudged out of the classroom and back to their quarters. The projected weather in the domed city showed the sun sinking below the horizon.

"Not entirely," Trice responded. "It's good to know how to use those weapons and strategies if we can't morph."

"Who's to say we really need them?" Alex asked.

"You heard Light," Simon answered. "We have to adapt, so he says."

"But those guys have only gone up against Grinders, from what I know," Alex said. "Nothing…"

He trailed off as he looked into the distance in the open field that led to the business district. An image flashed for a few seconds in his vision. He thought he saw Grinders, a tall blue figure, and what looked like a big, glowing, two-pronged device stuck in the field. Alex put his hands up in a fighting position.

"What is it?" Trice asked.

The vision left, and Alex saw nothing but a faint outline of buildings rising behind the wide verdant plain.

"Did anyone else just see that? I thought I saw Grinders," he replied.

Simon and Trice focused in on what Alex was looking at, but saw nothing.

"I don't see anything, Alex," Trice said. "It's just your imagination. We're all worn out."

"Yeah, and robots are the last thing I need to see today," Simon added, yawning. "Besides, wouldn't they be detected by the base?"

"Yeah," Alex said, shaking his head. "Yeah."

As the humans continued on their way, the Grinders whirred and beeped as they operated the device, with their leader Hypodrive looking on. The ground beneath them turned from green to purple, a circle forming at their feet. The third portal out of five was opening, and not one person would be able to see what Venjix's workers were doing.


	4. Ian

After dinner and a hot shower, Simon, Alex, and Trice fell face first into each of their beds. Not one said a word to the other before they passed out. It seemed as soon as the Rangers closed their eyes, the blare of the alarm rattled them barely awake, and off to training they went.

Their activity varied to a degree each day. Everyone started off doing the same hour or so of conditioning drills, but there was always a new twist to the next challenges for the new recruits. Sometimes the drill instructor would have the Rangers run, using his device to turn the temperature to the highest or lowest it would go. Other times they would take on an indoor obstacle course similar to the one outside. Sometimes, the walls and ropes would be slick with ice or water, the crawl net would be entangled with brambles, and other soldiers would swipe at the Series Operators with poles or throw shoot dummy rounds at them in between their own exercise on the course and battle drills.

However, Simon, Alex, and Trice decided to put their heads down and not say a word during their training. The three would repeat the course several times just to make it to the end without flinching or slipping. They took the same diligent approach with their classes as well, absorbing anything they could about vehicle mechanics, the specs of the Corinth Gate defense system, and everything else. Alex and Trice took pages of notes while Simon opened his notebook in front of his face, hoping to catch some sleep; it didn't work for long.

Every day ended the same. The Rangers drug themselves from the training grounds back to home base, exhausted, barely able to eat, and they always collapsed into bed, ready to go another round.

Near the end of the second week, Hien came to visit the Rangers during a short break in between their classes. They sat on the stoop of the building as he approached them.

"Hey guys," Hien said, waving with his free hand, a stack of paper in the other.

"Hey Hien," Trice said, mustering the energy to smile.

"How's the real world?" Alex asked, clapping him on the shoulder.

"Buzzing with excitement, actually," Hien responded, pushing his glasses up to his eyes.

"What could be more exciting than learning your blaster inside and out?" Simon asked, his arms behind his head. "I understand knowing your weapon, but this guy is obsessed."

"Machine repair," Trice said. "I have some plans for that jeep we busted, if I can ever get to the garage.

"And how would you know, Mr. Eyes Rolled Back?" Alex jested at Simon. Ranger Red just closed his eyes. "So, what's so exciting, Hien?"

"All three of your Zords are online and ready to go into Megazord mode whenever you need. I finally got the last bugs worked out of the system with Dr. K's help," the technician replied.

"That's awesome!" Trice said.

"If we ever see action again," Simon muttered

"And by help, you mean condescend?" Alex asked.

"Mostly," Hien said, laughing.

"What's with the paper?" Trice asked.

"Well, that's the other good news," Hien answered. "You guys are about to have some new teammates. We're recruiting to see if any member of the Corinth Resistance Army is compatible with the Series Green and Series Black biohardware."

"That means…" Trice began

"Yep," Hien interrupted. "New Power Rangers."

"I hope they're friendlier than the guys we've been training with," Alex suggested.

"Yeah, because that should be a quality to be a fighter," Simon said, getting up and stretching.

"A little salty, huh Simon?" Hien quipped.

"Realistic, yeah," Simon answered.

Just then, the four heard a commotion on the other side of the building. As they made their way over, they saw a group of soldiers at the foot of one of the office buildings. The four came up to the crowd, barely able to hear an argument over a rabble of voices.

"I told you, only official army personnel can apply for the Series Operator Program!" a bulky officer said, his mustache getting tinged with spittle.

"You guys won't even let me in!" yelled the man in front of him. "What's wrong with you?!" he poked at the officer's chest.

A guard next to the officer took the young man by the collar and threw him to the ground. A few soldiers laughed at him and teased him with their boots. He grabbed one of them by the leg and tried to twist his ankle. Another soldier rushed him and was met by a right cross. Two other soldiers grabbed the combative young man and tossed him to the ground again.

"Nice try, robo-boy!" one of them chuckled.

"Yeah, a real soldier right there!" another commented. The group began to walk away as the Rangers and Hien budged their way in and helped the young man to his feet.

"Are you okay?"Alex asked.

"Yeah, I'm fine," the man said. He was wearing a black athletic shirt and blue jeans that were looser around his right leg. His black hair was short and gelled almost to a short Mohawk point, and he had a goatee on his chin. "Alex? Is that you?"

"Ian? Hey man!" Alex shouted as the two embraced and laughed. "Man, where have you been?"

"Here!" Ian said. "Been here for three months. "How come I haven't seen you, Mr. Power Ranger?"

"I got into Corinth about three weeks ago. Odd that we missed each other," Alex answered.

Ian chuckled and turned to face Simon, Trice, and Hien. "So you must be the other Ranger operators," he said, taking their hands and shaking them. "Ian Diaz."

"Ian's an old friend from back in Indiana," Alex said before Hien could interject. "He was a combat specialist in the National Guard before the Venjix Virus hit."

"Way to exposit there, buddy," Ian answered. "I was gonna introduce me."

"If you're a combat specialist, why aren't you in the army now?" Simon asked.

"Yeah," Trice added. "So why are the others hassling you?"

"They like picking on me because of my bum wheel," Ian answered, putting his hands in his pockets. "Been in intake and the hospital getting checked out nearly the whole time."

"You look to be in perfect shape," Hien said. "Your legs don't seem to have a problem.

Ian raised his right jeans leg, showing a black and silver-colored artificial limb.

"Wow," Trice said.

"Like that ever _stopped _anyone from fighting in a war," Simon remarked.

"And with your experience, you'd be right," Ian said. Simon raised his eyebrows. "But this baby is operated with a brain-computer interface. Half man, half machine. And those bigheads who run Corinth's army think I'll easily get infected by the Venjix virus since it's such simple technology, as far as their large defense and computer systems are concerned. So no being a Ranger for me. Didn't help that I got in the recruiter's face, so the army is pretty much out too."

"Can't they just outfit you with some kind of override or something?" Alex asked.

"That's common sense, something they can't afford when fear is cheap," Ian said.

"So what are you going to do?" Simon inquired as the alarm for the next class sounded.

"I got it!" Hien interrupted. "I can take you to Colonel Light and Ranger Operations and see if he can get do something."

"It's worth a shot," Ian said, clapping Alex on the shoulder and turning to walk away with Hien. "We'll catch you guys later!"

The Series Operators watched the two head toward Ranger Operations before moving to their next class.

"I hope everything works out," Trice said to Alex.

"Knowing Ian, he won't give up until he gets where he wants to be," Alex responded. "I just hope he doesn't break anyone's jaw getting there."


	5. Verdict

"There is absolutely no way it could work," Dr. K's pointed New Zealand voice spoke.

"You won't know unless you let me try!" Ian protested. Hien had led Ian to Ranger Operations to speak to Colonel Light about possibly applying for the Series Operator program, but Dr. K quickly interjected before the officer could respond.

"Dr. K is right, Diaz," Light said as he passed by each of the engineers. "It'd be a grave risk on both our parts."

"You said it yourself," Dr. K continued. "Your ambulatory prosthesis is a first-run computer/brain symbiotic hybrid. If you were to come into contact with the Venjix virus, your whole body would succumb to him, not just your limb."

"But aren't the Ranger powers supposed to protect those who use it?" Ian asked. "How can they be penetrated?"

"Ian has a point," Hien interjected, rising from his computer terminal. "Shouldn't the Power Ranger technology have a sort of lockout system that protects the Ranger from such outside impediments?"

"The _Series Operator _biohardware is protective, not infallible, Hien," Dr. K acknowledged, needles in her speech. "At the moment, our access to the Morphing Grid is limited at best and the Series Green and Black biohardware is barely on its feet. Again, you will not assume the biohardware."

"Can't you see I don't care?!" Ian yelled, startling everyone in the room. He pointed to Hien. "Why are we the only two that get it?"

"At ease, specialist!" Colonel Light shouted, stopping Ian in his verbal tracks. He then lowered his voice a bit. "Diaz, I understand you want to help. I commend you for your desire to fight despite your handicap. But you being infected as a Ranger Operator would be disastrous."

"Then why can't he just be in the regular army?" Hien said, walking over to the two. "He would be a great asset there or anywhere in the city."

"Our three newest recruits are already having a tough enough time despite them trying their hardest," Light said. "Trust me, neither of you two would fit in there." He laughed just a little bit. Hien gritted his teeth and clutched the green pouch hanging from his neck.

"Very funny, Colonel," Ian grumbled. "The only handicap I have is not being able to get through to any of you."

"If you want to help, take this equipment over to the group at the training ground. The Series Operators need it," Light said to Ian, producing a silver suitcase from behind one of the desks and handing it to Ian. "And I suggest you take Mr. Cranston with you."

Ian grimaced and Hien continued to grip the green pouch. As they left, the Corinth alarm blared again.

"Attention! Hostile forces have been detected inside Corinth City's industrial district! This is not a drill! Return to your homes at once!"

As Dr. K's announcement repeated over the airwaves, troops from every corner of the military grounds rushed back to the base to mobilize. Simon, Alex, and Trice burst through a classroom door and started toward headquarters when a synthesized beep sounded from Simon's Cell Shifter. He pressed the #1 button on the device and answered, "This is Ranger Red,"

"Ranger Red," Dr. K said. "You and the other Series Operators must immediately head to the industrial district. The Resistance Army will back you up."

"Wait," Simon said as he motioned the others to run toward the city. "How did the hostiles make it inside the city? We didn't see or hear anything."

"Intelligence just discovered several stabilized portals in various points around the city." the doctor responded

"Yeah, but how? You didn't detect anything?" Alex asked.

"There's no time to explain! Just get down to the industrial district now!" Dr. K yelled, disconnecting the conversation."

"I guess there's only one way we can make it there fast enough," Trice gasped, retrieving her Cell Shifter as well.

"Right!" Simon shouted. The three brandished their Cell Shifters and Data Cards, inserting the cards into the devices and pressing the gold buttons.

"RPM! Get in Gear!"

The aura of the Morphing Grid enveloped the Series Operators, encasing them in fantastic energy and forming their biosuits.

Hien and Ian, who was holding the suitcase, just made it to the field as the Power Rangers were taking off.

"Rangers, wait!" Hien yelled, but he was too late.

Ian gripped the case and put his right leg forward. "Come on. We have to catch them."


	6. Energy Plant

"Hey! Let me go!" the plant worker screamed as three Grinders hoisted him up and tossed him into a mass of construction tubes. Other foot soldiers pummeled anyone present in the energy station's main hub; the portal outside was stable enough for a mass of Grinders and their leader to make their way through.

Their leader Hypodrive was a towering beast whose head branched out into three pointed ice-blue needles. The metallic menace wore a cloak that was an even deeper shade of blue, only revealing his spindly hands that ended in spikes, spikes that sliced the foreman's cheek open when he tried to stop the robot.

"I can take care of the main power supply myself, thank you," Hypodrive snarled, kicking the foreman to the side. Hypodrive raised his arm to the towering energy spires that held and helped radiate energy to everything in Corinth City. A thick mist flew from the spikes on his hands toward the spires and enveloped them.

As Hypodrive worked, everyone in the city saw the evidence of his deeds. Lights flickered and faded, computers shut down, and other things connected to the city's energy grid failed to work. Those who dared to venture outside saw the sunny sky flash and disappear, revealing the drab, overcast apocalyptic sky that was concealed by the dome's environmental simulation system.

Hypodrive and his Grinders began to move further into the compound, only to be headed off by the Power Rangers.

"Hold it right there!" Ranger Red yelled, throwing his fist in the air.

"Ah, it's you! The warriors Master Venjix told me about!" the monster growled. "I am Hypodrive."

"Did your master tell you what happened to the last robot that tried to destroy our city?" Ranger Blue asked, readying himself to fight.

"Why yes he did," Hypodrive said. "I believe he said… ATTACK!" he sprayed glowing needles at the Series Operators, who plummeted to the ground. The Grinders advanced on his call.

"Let's get 'em!" Trice shouted as the Rangers brought themselves to their feet. She flipped to the side and threw one of the foot soldiers into two of its brethren.

Ranger Red obliged his teammate's charge, punching two Grinders out of the way and spin kicking another to the concrete. Ranger Blue headed up to the upper deck of the nearby loading dock, confronting a few more foot soldiers. He used a flurry of knife-hand chops and roundhouse kicks to send them into nearby equipment, right next to some injured workers.

"Come on guys!" Alex said, helping them to their feet. "We gotta get you…" Just then, Hypodrive swept at Alex with his claws, doubling him over. The monster tossed the hero to the side.

Seeing the attack, Ranger Yellow pushed past a group of Grinders and readied her Nitro Staff. Her continuous strikes were met with blocks from Hypodrive, who lifted her off the ground and threw her back down again to the lower level. Trice cried out in pain and was soon met by Alex, who was kicked to the ground.

As the monster came to meet his foes, he soon shrieked as a shower of lasers rained down on him. Simon was running at him full force, shooting bolts from his Nitro Blaster. Hypodrive simply waved his arm and sent a blast of white mist at the Ranger, bringing him down in a cascade of sparks.

"Simon!" Alex yelled, stumbling over to help him up. Trice helped to steady both of them.

"Why don't you just give up?" Hypodrive inquired, his Grinders rallying behind him. "You and your weapons won't stop us!"

"We'll see about that!" Ranger Red shouted, pressing the silver symbol on his belt with the others following suit. The numbers on their chests projected colored light that formed the Street Saber, Turbo Cannon, and Zip Charger.

"Impressive! Watch what I can do!" the robot laughed. He waved his arm again, flinging that familiar white mist toward the Power Rangers. However, it struck the weapons rather than the fighters, turning them snow white.

"Huh?" Ranger Blue uttered as he tried to fire his cannon. "My cannon won't fire!"

Ranger Yellow tried to fling her Zip Charger at the enemies, but the weapon wouldn't extend. "What? My weapon doesn't work either!"

"Let me try!" Ranger Red said, moving to thrust his sword back and lunge. He could barely move his right arm, his Street Saber feeling like it weighed a thousand pounds. "Hey! What's going on?"

Hypodrive's claws glowed bright white as he raised his arms. At the same time, the Series Operators' armaments glowed just the same before exploding right in the faces of their owners. The Power Rangers flew back to the ground of the plant center again, writhing in pain and their weapons gone.

"Is everyone okay?" Simon asked as the Rangers slowly crawled to their feet. Hypodrive cackled as his Grinders began to swarm the area again.

"What just happened?" Alex added, shaking his head.

"Oh no!" Trice exclaimed. A message on her HUD read "Series Operator Armament Zip Charger in Critical Condition: Out of Commission."

"I see it too," Alex responded. "I guess we can't just call them back."

"And it won't do you any good, either!" Hypodrive said, inching closer to the group. "You have seen the nature of my power. With my subzero mist, I can instantly freeze any mechanical or technological device. Your weapons are useless to stop me completely shutting down your city's power source!"

"The deep freeze must have been too much for our weapons!" Trice realized.

"Wrong!" the monster replied. "As you've seen, my power also has the opposite effect, leading to some explosive results!"

Ranger Blue went to draw his Nitro Blaster, but Ranger Red stopped him. "No," he said. "He'll just overload our blasters, too."

"And just think of what I can do when I get to your biosuits as well!" Hypodrive shouted, laughing as he came closer and closer. He lunged to strike, but the three dodged and went to repulse the Grinders that remained after others went to further stake out the power station.


	7. 5-4-3

As the battle raged on in the power station's hub, Grinders marched along various steel-walled hallways, looking for the other places they could access and fully take over the power generator. In the eastern area, a Grinder busied itself by examining one of the auxiliary power terminals while two more foot soldiers patrolled the hallway outside. As they marched facing away from one of the two connecting corridor, Hien and Ian rounded the corner, tiptoeing against the walls.

"My map scanner says the Rangers are just around that next corner," Hien said, checking the rectangular GPS device in his hands.

"That's great, but maybe you should put that thing away," Ian whispered, clutching the silver case.

"Why?" Hien asked, not looking up.

"Because those guys don't look too happy with us!" Ian said. The two Grinders saw the humans and rushed forward with their staves. Hien and Ian quickly ducked out of the way and wheeled around to the auxiliary power room. The Grinder at the terminal turned around and went to grab Ian, but he struck the robot in the gut with the silver case and thrust his elbow into its back. The two guards ambled into the room, but were thrown back by a side kick from Ian and a two-handed push from Hien.

"Come on!" Ian yelled. The two ran out the door and around the next corner. They stopped dead in their tracks as they saw the fight in front of them. The energy spires pulsated with white light as Hypodrive threw icy mist and piercing needles at the Power Rangers, who ducked, dodged, and moved about trying to avoid being blown up. More Grinders came into the area from various angles to replace the ones who had fallen to the heroes.

"Whoa!" Ian breathed.

"So this is what it really looks like…" Hien said.

On one of the higher catwalks, Ranger Yellow evaded another spray of mist from Hypodrive and knocked down a Grinder with a spinning backfist. As she moved, she noticed the other two humans on the other side of the area.

"Hien! Ian! What are you doing here?" she yelled.

"Came to give you this!" Ian called back, raising the silver case. "Thought you could use some help!"

"New friends, eh?" Hypodrive growled, sending more flying spikes at nearby Rangers Red and Blue, who leapt out of the way at opposite sides. "Grinders! Attack!"

Six foot soldiers ran past their leader and went to fight Hien and Ian. Ian caught one by the arm and flung it into the wall with his free hand. He blocked a strike from one of their staves with the case and jump kicked the foe in the chest. The remaining four surrounded Hien, who tried to roll through one of the Grinder's legs, but he was snatched up and was met with a fist to the face.

"Hien!" Ian yelled. He moved to help his friend, but two Grinders dropkicked the combat expert to the ground, the briefcase sliding out of his hands and next to him.

Hien gritted his teeth and rolled past his attackers. He rose and curved his right arm in front of him. One Grinder went to punch him again, but Hien executed a circular block and pushed the robot to the ground. He ducked the staff of the other enemy, turned to land two punches to its chest, and used a final palm heel strike to repulse it.

"Way to go man!" Alex yelled. He and Simon tried to grab hold of Hypodrive, but the monster threw them both back into Trice, who had just been rebuffed herself.

Hien started to go toward them, but a Grinder took him by the collar and tossed him next to Ian, who was clutching his chest.

"Guys!" Simon called, trying to make it to his feet. At the same moment, a group of men in blue uniforms stormed into the plant's main area, surrounding the Rangers. Finally, the CRA backup had arrived.

"Alright!" Hypodrive shouted. "More friends!"

"Fire!" yelled an officer in front. The soldiers complied, shooting bolt after bolt at many of the Grinders, instantly destabilizing them.

"Now get the leader!" the officer commanded. Before the man finished his sentence, Hypodrive's white mist enveloped all of the soldiers' blasters, coloring them snow white and rendering them useless. The soldiers were flabbergasted, continuing to pull their triggers, but to no avail.

"Engage!" the commander shouted. The men yelled and rushed to fight Hypodrive hand-to-hand, still brandishing their guns as striking weapons.

"Stop!" Simon protested. "You can't beat him like that!"

He was too late. The monster raised his arms, making the soldiers' weapons glow and combust, grounding some men and propelling others back.

"No!" Alex cried, moving to help the fallen men along with the others.

Ian and Hien watched the events in shock as they tried to recover from their injuries.

"You okay?" Hien asked Ian.

"I can make it," Ian replied. He looked at the case, the locks busted open by the fighting. "Man, what is in this thing?" He opened the case to reveal two rectangular objects, black and gold in color with three red buttons, two on the front and one on the side. Each device had a T-shaped handle near the bottom that could be moved up and down. Two Data Cards, colored green and black respectively, were set next to the objects.

"Those are the Rev Shifters!" Hien exclaimed as the Grinders moved around the two. "These are the Morphers that Series Operators Four and Five are supposed to use!"

"And Light gave them to us." Ian remarked.

"Why would the other Rangers need these?" Hien asked.

"Read between the lines, buddy!" Ian said, grabbing one of the Rev Shifters and the black Data Card. He rose to his feet as the device and the card glowed with purple light.

"We need another strategy!" one of the soldiers said, hobbling along and supporting himself on Ranger Yellow's shoulder. Hypodrive just stood where he was, laughing at the regrouping resistance.

"You guys had best get out of here," Trice said. "We can take it from here. Please." The soldier looked at her in bewilderment, but then slowly nodded.

"I've got one! Come on!" Ian yelled, running away from the puzzled Grinders and toward the chaos. Hien tried to rise, but the foot soldiers surrounded him again.

"Huh? It's that Diaz kid!" the soldier said as Ian kept going.

"Ian! Get back!" Simon shouted.

Ian ignored them all, pushing the side red button on the Rev Shifter, opening a window in the device's front. He placed the Data Card inside, closed the door, and moved the lever up.

"RPM! Get in Gear!"

Ian disappeared in a flash of purple light. He was surrounded by the energy of the Morphing Grid, the aura forming a black suit with gold wrist and leg cuffs. The number "5" was emblazoned on his chest. In the aura, a visage of a wolf enveloped his head and formed a black helmet modeled after a wolf. He wore his Morpher on his left wrist as well. The transformation was complete.

"RPM Series Black!" Ian roared as everyone looked on in shock.

"No way! Him?!" one of the retreating soldiers said.

"How could he?" another piped in.

"Ah, put a sock in it!" Ranger Blue interrupted. "Go Ian!"

Several Grinders came to flank Ranger Black, but he knocked them down one by one with strikes and throws. Two more came up behind him, but they instead met a few rounds from his Nitro Blaster. Hypodrive let out a furious guttural and rushed Ranger Black himself. Ian dodged the robot's blows, throwing two jumping roundhouse kicks at him. Doubling back, the monster tried to encase the new Series Operator in his mist, but the Ranger rolled out of the way and behind Hypodrive.

"Miss me?" he said, wheeling Hypodrive around. Before Hypodrive could react, Ian kicked him in the stomach and, with all his might, hoisted him up and put him through some nearby tubing with a powerbomb.

"That oughta learn ya." Ranger Black said, dusting off his hands as everyone cheered, even Hien, who broke away from the fight he was in, holding the briefcase.

Suddenly, a flash of fire rocketed at Ian, sending him flying. The other Rangers went to help him up, but they too were met with a wheel of flame.

"Rangers!" Hien yelled, going after them. However, he stopped when he saw what was coming down from one of the nearby rooftops. The figure plummeted to the ground and rose, revealing himself to be General Shifter.

"I knew I'd have to come down here myself," the golden general said, baring his metallic fangs and moving toward the fallen heroes. The Resistance Army had since retreated at the behest of the Power Rangers.

"Who are you?" Ian posed, getting back into a defensive stance.

"I am Shifter, Venjix's main general," the robot responded. "And you are going to be five rotting corpses when we are finished."

"No!" Hien ran up to Shifter and launched a kick straight to his sternum, which did nothing. The robot chuckled, wrenched Hien's arm, and tossed him back toward Hypodrive, who was also closing in.

"Looks like it's the end of the line for you, boy," Hypodrive hissed as Hien held his throbbing arm, the briefcase still near him.

"Hien! Use the Rev Shifter!" Ranger Red called out.

"Come on! You can do it!" Ranger Black added.

"No he can't," Hypodrive interjected as Hien fumbled to get the case open. The young man picked up the Morpher and the Data Card as Hypodrive prepared to shoot more dagger-like needles at him. Hien raised his arms to ward off the oncoming attack. The spikes struck his Rev Shifter, which glowed bright green. In the same second, Hypodrive's needles rebounded and struck him instead, forcing him to the ground.

Hien rose and gripped the pouch that hung from his neck. "I can do this. I can do this." He opened the window on the Cell Shifter, inserted the Data Card, and moved the lever up.

"RPM! Get in Gear!" he shouted. This time, the Morphing Grid surrounded Hien, encasing him in a green jumpsuit with the same gold accent Ian's had. The number four was emblazoned on his chest. Radiant green energy in the form of a shark melded into his head, forming his helmet. Now he was fully morphed as well.

"RPM Green Ranger! Shark Power!" Hien bellowed, thrusting his open hands to the side and then to the front, like the jaws of a shark.

"Well that was sure dramatic," Trice said, smiling behind her helmet.

"That's the best way to do it!" Simon said.


	8. Battle Plan

*NOTE* Since this is a fan project, I may change the names of certain attacks and weapons for creative purposes. I also may include dialogue and lines from the original shows besides morphing calls and things like that. Thanks for sticking with me again!

Of course, Venjix's charges were less than impressed.

"Whatever!" Hypodrive rasped, going to ambush Ranger Green. The villain threw a series of spikes toward his target, but Ranger Green simply sidestepped the projectiles. The new Power Ranger rolled forward and delivered a series of jabs and a last jump front kick to the robot. Shifter came from behind Hien and grabbed him firmly by the shoulders. Hien swiftly elbowed the general in the stomach and executed an over-the-shoulder throw.

"Had enough?" Hien asked, doubling back to the other Series Operators.

"You have skill," Shifter said, getting up quickly. "Now it'll be not as insulting when I show you that it won't be enough to keep you alive." He extended his arm and donned his large trident, which materialized in a flash of bright light.

"He's right," Simon said. "Rushing and counterattacking won't work anymore."

"We can't just play defense either," Alex added.

"Yeah. It's time to call on the big hardware!" Ian yelled.

"You got it!" Hien shouted. Rangers Green and Black pressed the symbols on their belts, green and violet light shining from the numbers on their chests. A large green two-headed axe with two prongs at the end formed for Hien while Ian assumed a large black rocket launcher with a metal attachment shaped like a wolf's head and blood red eyes on top.

"Octane Axe!"

"Rocket Blaster!"

"Geez, these guys are stupid!" Hypodrive grumbled, producing more subzero mist. But before he could disable their weapons, Ranger Black fired two laser rockets from his blaster, bringing Hypodrive down.

"Great shooting, Ian!" Alex said.

"Let's split up," Trice suggested. "We can take them out faster that way."

"I'll hang back and take care of those leftovers," Ian said, aiming his launcher at a group of the last remaining Grinders.

With battle cries, the other four Rangers went in to attack. Series Operators Red and Green took Shifter while Blue and Yellow went to take on Hypodrive. While Simon and Hien clashed staff and axe with the General's trident, Alex and Trice fanned out to surround the other monster. Despite his best efforts, Hypodrive's blasts didn't hit the evading Power Rangers.

"Stop fooling around, Hypodrive!" Shifter ordered as he blocked another slash from Hien's Octane Axe. With a broad swipe, he countered and struck both Hien and Alex, bringing them down.

"I'm trying!" Hypodrive shouted, throwing his arms out in rage. A bright red mist flew from his arms and struck the other Rangers Blue and Yellow, blowing them back in a shower of sparks.

"My red mist may be less potent than my white mist, but it'll be enough to blow your heads off!" Hypodrive screeched. "Then I'll blow this whole place apart!"

Ian heard all of the commotion and turned his Rocket Blaster around to fire at Hypodrive, but one Grinder kicked him in the right knee, making him buckle. Two more Grinders grabbed Ranger Black's weapon and tossed it aside, forcing him to deal with the foot soldiers hand-to-hand.

At the same time, Simon and Hien tried to get back up from Shifter's last blow. Both Ranger Red and Green reassumed their weapons.

"Ready?" Ranger Red asked. Green nodded.

"Go!"

Hien took off toward Hypodrive and his fellow Rangers while Simon put his Nitro Staff away and rushed at General Shifter, grabbing the enemy's trident in mid-swing and holding him back with all his might.

"I'll stop him!" Hien yelled, raising his Octane Axe and preparing to strike. Hypodrive turned around and flung a cloud of white mist at his pursuer, freezing and weighing down his weapon. Hien skidded to the ground as his axe took on the weight of a boulder.

"Nice try, pipsqueak!" Hypodrive said, cackling. "Say bye bye to your little toy and your life!" As he spoke, Hien kept trying to pick the axe up.

"Hien! Get out of the way!" Ian shouted, trying to drag his launcher away from the Grinders.

"I've got it!" Hien answered, nodding toward Ranger Red, who saw the affair from his struggle.

"Finish him already!" Shifter bellowed, trying to pull his weapon away from Simon. Hypodrive obeyed and started to raise his arms. In the same second, Shifter pulled back and Simon let go of the trident, the robotic leader falling. As Hypodrive's hands glowed, signaling the ensuing explosion, Hien let go of the Octane Axe and moved toward Alex and Trice, pushing them back. Before the monster could realize what was happening, Simon dropkicked Hypodrive face first onto Hien's weapon only a moment before the explosion. The Octane Axe, along with Hypodrive, erupted in a blaze of fire, smoke, and sparks.

"Yes! We did it!" Hien cried as the four Rangers regrouped.

"That was amazing!" Trice yelled.

"Talk about evolving," Simon said, crossing his arms.

A metallic clang rang through the area as Shifter struck his trident against the pavement. "I can't believe it!" he roared. "You vermin will pay for this!"

"Oh really?" a voice said. Shifter turned around, only to descend to the pavement as Ian opened fire with his Rocket Blaster.

"Great work, team!" Ranger Black said, meeting up with the others.

"You said it!" Alex added.

Shifter brought himself to his feet and ambled toward the wreckage that was Hypodrive. He raised his trident and pointed at the Power Rangers, lightning flying from the spearpoint and zapping the heroes. As the Rangers cried out in anguish during Shifter's attack, the last two Grinders picked up what was left of Hypodrive and ran toward the plant exit, the general following suit.

"After them!" Alex breathed as the humans tried to steady themselves. The Series Operators did their best to chase after the robots, but they couldn't reach them. Shifter and his Grinders were already down the service road going into the city, where a circular opening in the ground radiated with dark purple light. The three robots stepped into the portal, and with another flash of light, they were gone.

Back at Venjix's base, all of the attending foot soldiers scurried away as General Shifter was in a fit of rage.

"Those marginal beasts!" he roared, striking his trident against the ground. "I can't believe this! This is all your fault!

"Me?" General Crunch uttered. "Hey, my portal worked perfectly. You're the one that couldn't finish off the city. And besides, Hypodrive was your robot!"

"Why didn't you send more troops!" the gold-plated demon shouted. "We could have leveled that entire city if you sent them through your blasted portals!"

"You are correct," Venjix's voice boomed. "But because of Corinth City's defensive technology, our entrances to the city aren't very strong. Only a few warriors can get in at a time from one particular portal. And now, I'm sure those pathetic humans will be doing their best to seal them off."

"You're right, Master," Shifter said. "You seem so calm about all this."

"Only because you actually did something right by bringing back Hypodrive's parts," Venjix said. "I assume it's for the next phase of your plan?"

"Yes, sir," Shifter answered. "Those insufferable Power Rangers won't be able to stand up against what we have prepared for them now."

"I hope they won't, for your sakes."

Since Hypodrive's demise, and after medical treatment for those that were injured in the fighting, the energy plant engineers were able to begin restoring power to Corinth City. As they worked, lights, screens, and devices began to flicker back to life. Even the sunny sky from the environmental simulator began to shine again.

At the CRA headquarters, the five Series Operators ran into Colonel Light as they were making their way to Ranger Operations, checking on and talking to the other soldiers in the foyer. Apparently, now the soldiers thought it was cool to have Ian on the team rather than a liability.

"I see the gamble paid off," Light said to the Rangers, who were still wearing their biosuits as they held their helmets under their arms. He looked directly at Hien and Ian. "I guess you're learning to evolve after all." With that, Light left and headed down an opposite hallway.

"Well, I guess all's well that ends well," Trice said as they walked down to the Operations room.

"I'm just glad they aren't hassling us anymore," Alex said.

Ian slapped him five. "You said it, bro," he added.

"Working together in a life-threatening situation can do some amazing things," Hien said, grinning from ear to ear.

They went through the sliding door to the main room, where they were greeted by Doctor K's voice.

"Do you have any idea what could've happened to you out there?" her voice bellowed.

"Here we go," Simon said, yawning. "Hey, give us a break. We just saved the city."

"By foolishly assuming biohardware not intended for you and purposefully allowing your weapons to be jeopardized!" the doctor continued. "It will take hours to unfreeze your Ranger Armaments and days to restore the Series Green Octane Axe!"

"Sure. Not intended for us," Ian chuckled, shaking his head. "It's called planning in a crisis, doc!"

"Be that as it may for you," Dr. K went on. "Five undertrained individuals like you cannot take those kinds of risks! The potential damage to our work could be irreparable!"

"That's enough!" Alex shouted back. "I'm sick of you constantly insulting us when we're just doing our jobs! I don't see you out there! Where are you anyway?"

"My location is inconsequential to you, Ranger Blue!" Dr. K shot back. "Your primary function…"

As Dr. K continued dressing down the group, Trice noticed a side door by the biosuit display that she hadn't seen before. A keypad was mounted next to it. _"Maybe," _she thought to herself. She motioned the others to follow her to the door, with Dr. K going on about something concerning the weapons on one of the computers. Trice decided to try a random number for the four-digit passkey. She typed in 8401. With an electronic beep, the door opened to reveal a roomy, well-lit space with someone sitting at three adjacent computer terminals. The person spun around in a revolving office chair and got up. It was a petite young woman wearing a blue sweater and matching skirt, a white lab coat over her sweater. Her hair was cut in a short bob.

"How did you five get in here?" Dr. K demanded. The Power Rangers just stood there, surprised looks on their faces.

"What?" Dr. K asked. "You thought I'd be taller?"

**NEXT TIME ON POWER RANGERS RPM**

Just as the Rangers finally figure out who Dr. K is, Shifter sends a rejuvenated Hypodrive to face off with them again. And this time, he has a big surprise for the entire city. The problems don't stop there, as another robotic villain is laying in wait for his chance to strike the last hope for humanity. Can the Power Rangers use some "Mega" power to stop this unending terror? Find out next time!


End file.
